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Tests or Punishments: God's efficient growth system for Submitters

Question: I would like to understand a little more about tests and punishments. What do tests involve? When something is not going right, How do I know if it is a test or a punishment?

Answer: Peace be upon you. Everything that we experience in our lives is in accordance with God's will and a specific plan that He has arranged for us to enable us to redeem ourselves. As far as we are concerned, God has given us complete free will to decide our own actions. If we do good, it is God who is doing it (because all good comes from God), but He allows us to take the credit towards our souls for it (8:17). If we do bad (because we allowed Satan to influence us), God allows Satan to afflict us with something bad. However Satan can only affect us to the limit that God allows him to. This is because God also wants us to reflect upon what we have done wrong, repent, and do better next time (18:24, 67:2).

God is the Doer of Everything*

[4:78] Wherever you are, death will catch up with you, even if you live in formidable castles. When something good happens to them, they say, "This is from GOD," and when something bad afflicts them, they blame you. Say, "Everything comes from GOD." Why do these people misunderstand almost everything?

Footnote *4:78 Bad things are consequences of our own deeds (42:30, 64:11), though God is the doer of everything (8:17). God created the fire to serve us, but you can decide to put your finger in it. We thus hurt ourselves. It is God's law that if you put your finger in the fire, it will hurt.

Tests are designed to assess the strength of our submission to God alone under all circumstances. God decides the type, time, place and magnitude of the test, whether it is to test our admission into submission, or help us fix a weakness, or come out of a problem we brought on ourselves, and so on. He may increase or reduce our provisions, or place us in tough or happy circumstances, to see if we will be appreciative, non-objecting, and submitting under all situations (10:61). The verses in Quran dealing with tests indicate that tests are not humiliating, unbearable or permanently damaging (2:286). In fact, believers can look forward to "good news," meaning they will come out better is they trust God and remain steadfast in submission to him throughout the test (38:34, 38:41).

[2:155] We will surely test you through some fear, hunger, and loss of money, lives, and crops. Give good news to the steadfast.*

[2:156] When an affliction befalls them, they say, "We belong to GOD, and to Him we are returning."

[2:157] These have deserved blessings from their Lord and mercy. These are the guided ones. 

Footnote *2:155 The test is designed to prove that we worship God alone under all circumstances (29:2).

The Inevitable Test*

[3:186] You will certainly be tested, through your money and your lives, and you will hear from those who received the scripture, and from the idol worshipers, a lot of insult. If you steadfastly persevere and lead a righteous life, this will prove the strength of your faith.

Footnote *3:186 After passing the admission tests, the proven worshipers of God ALONE enjoy a perfect life, now and forever. See 10:62, 24:55, and 29:2-3.

Nothing Bad Comes From God

[4:79] Anything good that happens to you is from GOD, and anything bad that happens to you is from you. We have sent you as a messenger to the people, ….

[42:30] Anything bad that happens to you is a consequence of your own deeds, and He overlooks many (of your sins).

The important thing to realize here is that whether it is a test or punishment, we must trust in God and look upon every experience as an opportunity to do better. God is the most efficient Reckoner so we may never know which is a test or a punishment or an effective combination of both. The reason for pointing this out is because the easiest thing for people to do is to pass off all calamities and bad things that happen to them ‘as tests.’ This decreases the desire and opportunity to take responsibility for actions and thereby not initiate a process of improvement. The traditional Muslims take this approach. As far as they are concerned, all the suffering, misery and oppression they face are 'one big test' from God, and they will eventually be relieved and forgiven in the Hereafter. This is a completely wrong idea because whatever they are suffering continuously downhill worldwide is purely a result of their actions of abandoning God's laws and not worshipping Him alone. We know from Quran that any individual or community that follows God's laws is guaranteed a life of dignity and happiness in this life and the Hereafter, notwithstanding tests and punishments that will be blended into their lives in between. Happiness is Submission to God.

Additionally, a person going through a trying situation at a particular time doesn’t mean the person is all bad. God is Appreciative, Most Just, and never puts our worship to waste. In fact He overlooks many of our sins, or else He could make the humans suffer greatly (2:143, 35:45, 39:33). Therefore, believers should also be careful about how they judge or decide tests/punishments for other believers, lest they end up misrepresenting the person and harming their own souls.

Believing Nations Prosper

[10:98] Any community that believes will surely be rewarded for believing. For example, the people of Jonah: when they believed, we relieved the humiliating retribution they had been suffering in this world, and we made them prosperous.

 

Therefore, since we do not know God's plan – whether it is a test, punishment or both - the safer option for believers is to kill the ego (2:54), trust in God (26:217-220) and look upon every tough situation as an opportunity to reflect upon their actions and see if there is something in their submission that needs working upon (25:71, 67:2). It never harms to be careful. While we don’t have to feel miserable about life (because we will experience some bad times, reminders, weaknesses/mistakes that need correction etc. 57:22-23), God does not want us to take His mercy for granted (7:99). So whether we are being tested or punished, it is good to take a positive attitude and reflect upon our lives and see if all our actions are most pleasing to God. This will automatically help us pass a test successfully, fix a weakness and come out better from a punishment, God willing. The story of David in is an excellent example of this. Whether it was a test or not, David became careful about his actions and repented anyway (38:20-26). Job (38:41-44) and Jonah (21:87-88) are among other examples of those who took responsibility and corrective actions for whatever was happening to them.

God willing this will have provided a perspective for you. For more information, you can do a search in the Quran software for words like test, punishment, happiness, trust, forgive etc. You may also wish to visit the pages on achieving happiness and trusting/loving God.